Half to fred l



(No Model.)

B. PORTER.

OIL CAN.

.No. 554,306., Patented Feb. 11, 1896.

BENJAMIN PORTER, OF ELLENDALE', NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF HALF TO FRED L. ALKER, OF SAME PLACE.

ONE-

OIL-CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,306, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed June 7,1895. Serial No. 551,963. (No model.)

Figure 1 is a central vertical section. Fig.

2 is a detail, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of can.

My invention relates to that class of oilcans which have a piston for forcing the oil through the nozzle or spent.

The object of the invention is to provide such a can with a positive piston-feed and air-inlet mechanism which will be simple and inexpensive and not liable to get out of order.

The invention will first be described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

A represents the can-body, which is formed in two sections A A of sheet metal spun or pressed into the desired shape, the meeting edges of the two sections being soldered or seamed together, as at A The section A is formed with a raised bottom having a pistonrod opening a in the apex of its raised portion, while the upper section A is formed with a cylinder A B is a central vertical tube secured at its lower edge to the inner side of the can-bottom concentric with the opening a and having a similar central opening Z) in its upper end, said upper end also having air-openings Z). The tube B increases in diameter toward its lower end, and upon this tapering inner tube fits an outer tapering tube O, provided in its upper end with a packing c, which rests upon the upper end of tube B and closes the air-apertures therein.

The outer tube 0 depends from the lower face of the piston D, having a central rod (1, which extends down through the openings 1) a? and is provided with operating means at its lower end. In Fig. 1 a thumb-piece d is secured to the lower end of the piston-rod, and this thumb-piece works in the space a formed by the raised portion and normally lies in a higher plane than the bottom edge of the can, so as not to contact with the surface on which the can rests.

E is a spiral spring, the base or large upper end of which rests against the upper end of the cylinder A, while its lower end rests upon the center of the pistonD and presses it down so as to hold the tube O tight upon the inner tube B and also hold the piston normally below the lower end of the cylinder A to permit oil to flow past the edge of the piston into the cylinder when the can is in position for use. The lower end of the spring is preferably provided with a flat bearing or follower E, so

that there will be no danger of lateral slipplug.

The upper end of the section A has the usual threaded collar and into this screws the lower threaded end of the nozzle or spout A The parts'are assembled before the two sections A A are secured together, after which they will require no attention as they all. lie within the can out of the way where they can not become bent or broken.

In Fig. 3 the can is constructed as above described, with the exception that a rim A is secured to the lower edge of the can and a handle A attached to one side. The pistonrod cl in this construction is operated by means of a lever F, which has a slotted or forked inner end extending between shoulders d d on the lower end of the rod within space a, said lever passing through and pivoted between its endsto the rim A at f so as to rock vertically. The outer end of the lever F extends up through a slot a in the lower end of the handle A and passes through a slot g in the lower end of the plate-spring G, the upper curved end 9' of which is secured in the upper end of the handle. Thus when the fingers grasp the spring G and press it toward the handle the upper wall of slot 9 will bear down on the lever and press its inner end up and cause it to operate the piston-rod d. When the fingers release the spring G,

the lower end of its vertical member springs toward the can and the lower wall of the slot g bears on the lower side of the outer end of le ver Gr and thus returns the piston mechanism to its normal position. In this construction the action of the spring G may be supplemented by the spring E, but the latter may be dispensed with if desired.

WVhen the can is turned to permit oil to pass the piston D and flow into the cylinder A and the lower end of the rod (1 pressed in ward, the piston will be forced into the cylinder and eject the oil, the tube 0 traveling with the piston and thereby permitting air to enter through openings (0 Z) and pass into the can through the space now formed between the two tapering tubes. The slight amount of oil that may find its way between the two tubes will be sucked back into the can by the incoming air and by the action of the outer tube C in returning to its place close upon the inner tube. The packing 0 will still further prevent any escape of oil from between the two tubes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isl. The combination with the can having a cylinder inits upper end, and a central tube projecting up from its bottom and terminating below the lower end of said cylinder, of a piston having a rod guided in said tube and adapted to be pressed inwardly from the exterior of the can-bottom, and an outer tube moving with the piston and surrounding the inner stationary tube; the said two tubes controlling the admission of air to the can, substantially as described.

2. An oil-can provided with a cylinder in its upper portion and a central vertical tapering air-inlet tube projecting up from the canbottom but terminating below the lower end of the cylinder, a piston lying normally below the lower end of the cylinder and having an operating-rod extending down through and guided in said tapering tube, and an outer tapering tube moving with the piston and closely fitting the inner stationary tube; said two tubes forming a valve for admission of air to the can when the piston is forced inward and preventing exit of oil in the oppo site movement, substantially as described.

3. A can provided with a raised bottom and a cylinder in its upper end, a central vertical tapering air-inlet tube projecting up from the raised bottom, a spring-retracted piston normally lying below the lower end of the cylinder and having an operating-rod guided in the said tube and extending down into the space exterior to the can-bottom, and the outer tapering tube closely fitting over the inner tube, and moving with the piston to admit air through the inner stationary tube substantially as described.

4. A can provided with a raised bottom and a cylinder in its upper end, a central tapering air-inlet tube projecting up from the raised bottom, the piston having an. operating-rod extending down through said tube into the space exterior to the raised portion of the can-bottom, and the tapering tube depending from the lower side of the piston and closely fitting said air-inlet tube; the upper end of the movable tube having a suitable packing to close the upper end of inlet-tube, substantially as described.

5. A can provided with a raised bottom and a cylinder in its upper end, the tapering airinlet tube projecting up from the can-bottom, a piston normally below the cylinder and hav ing its operating-rod extending down through the said tube, a spiral spring bearing at its upper end against the upper end of the cylinder and at its lower end engaging the piston and forcing it down, the inner movable tapering tube carried by the piston and closely fitting the inlet-tube substantially as described.

(3. A can provided with a raised bottom and a cylinder at its upper end, the tapering airinlet tube projecting up from the can-bottom, a piston normally below the cylinder and having its operating-rod extending down through said tube, a spiral spring bearing at its base against the upper end of the cylinder and having a fiat bearing or follower at its lower end or apex engaging the center of said piston, and the movable tapering tube depending from the piston and closely fitting over the air-inlet tube, substantially as set forth.

7. A can provided with a handle at one side, and a cylinder at its upper end, a central taporing air-inlet tube projecting up from the raised can-bottom, a piston having an operating-rod extending down through said tube and can-bottom, a movable tapering tube depending from the piston and closely fitting the air-inlet tube, a lever pivoted between its ends to lower edge of the can, connected at its inner end to the lower end of the piston and extending at its outer end into the space within the handle, and a plate-spring secured within the handle and having an operative connection at its lower end with the said lever, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the can and its piston and air-inlet mechanism, of a lever pivoted between its ends to lower edge of the rim of the can and operatively connected with the lower end of the piston-rod, and a plate-spring depending in the space between the can-handle and body of the can to be grasped by the hand and operatively connected at its lower end with the outer end of the said lever, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the can and its piston and air-inlet mechanism of a lever pivoted between its ends to the lower edge of the can and operatively connected with the lower external end of the piston-rod, and a platespring within the handle and having a slot in its lower free end through which the outer end of said lever projects, substantially as described.

BENJAMIN PORTER.

Witnesses:

S. V. SAUNDERS, FRANK L. GiLLis. 

